1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of washing a blanket in a washing machine, and more particularly to a method of washing a blanket in a washing machine which can reduce a consumption of rinsing water and can improve a rinsing efficiency for a blanket.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known, a washing machine is an appliance for separating dirts from laundry by sequentially carrying out various cycles in the order of feeding washing water, washing, rinsing, dehydrating, and draining.
While the above cycles are being executed, the dirts contained in the laundry are separated from the laundry by means of friction between a water flow and the laundry or by means of detergents. In particular, impurities such as foam or detergent that remain in the laundry after the washing cycle has finished are separated from the laundry and is drained out of the washing machine while the rinsing cycle is being executed.
Generally, the rinsing cycle is classified into a hold-water rinsing cycle and a spin dry rinsing cycle. In a conventional washing machine operating in its rinsing cycle, the so-called hold-water rinsing cycle, detergent wash water is discharged from an outer tub, after which the outer tub is filled by clean water. When the incoming new water reaches a predetermined level in the outer tub, the water supply is stopped and a pulsator installed at the center of a spin tub is rotated. Detergent permeated into the laundry is dissolved into the new water in the spin tub by the water which is stirred by the pulsator. After a predetermined time, the water solvable detergent is discharged from the outer tub. This process may be repeated one or more times. This hold-water rinsing cycle operation wastes a considerable amount of water when the discharge and filling are repeated.
Therefore, another type of rinsing cycle, the so-called spin dry rinsing cycle which reduces the consumption of water was developed. Spin dry rinsing cycle operation includes one or more spin dry rinsing modes. In each spin dry rinsing mode, there are a spin dry rinsing operation and a spin dry operation. In the spin dry rinsing operation, water in the outer tub is drained from the outer tub after the detergent washing, then new water is supplied into the outer tub while the spin tub is being rotated. The supplied water permeates into the laundry because of the spin tub rotation. After the spin dry rinsing operation is completed, the spin dry mode is started. During the spin dry operation, the water supply is stopped, but the rotation of the spin tub continues. The permeating water is separated from the laundry and is extracted by the centrifugal force of the spin tub rotation. The spin dry rinsing cycle, including the starting and stopping of water supply and spin tub rotation, is repeated a predetermined number of times in spin dry rinsing mode operation.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,877 discloses a washing machine which automatically adjusts the water supply level according to the amount of the laundry and permits the user to select the spin dry rinsing times that will occur during the spin dry rinsing mode operation and the time period for the spin dry rinsing mode operation. In the above washing machine, after the washing cycle, the rinsing cycle is carried out through the spin dry rinsing operation and the spin dry operation. Since a proper amount of washing water is supplied according to the amount of the laundry and various operational parameters can be adjusted by the user, the consumption of the washing water can be reduced. However, while the spin dry rinsing operation is being carried out, the spin tub continuously rotates, so a power consumption thereof increases.
In particular, when the laundry is a blanket, it absorbs a relatively large amount of water. So, in the conventional rinsing method, after the washing cycle is finished, a relatively large amount of new rinsing water must be supplied and drained plural times, resulting in a waste of the rinsing water. In addition, since the detergent deeply permeates into the blanket, a complete separation of the detergent is not easy.
To overcome the above-described disadvantages, various rinsing methods have been suggested, but they cannot completely solve the relied-upon disadvantages.
Meanwhile, U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,722 issued to Pastryk et al. discloses a spray rinsing process for removing dirt and the detergent contained in the laundry.
FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of Pastryk's spray rinsing process.
As shown in FIG. 4, the spray rinsing process includes a first step 510 of draining the washing water from a wash zone after the washing cycle has finished, a second step 520 of introducing a first washing water into the wash zone, a third step 530 of draining the first washing water collected in a sump area out of the washing machine, a fourth step 540 of introducing a second washing water into the wash zone through a spray nozzle and then circulating the second washing water 4 to 12 times, and a fifth step 550 of spinning a spin tub so as to drain the circulated washing water out of the washing machine.
In first step 510, the spin tub rotates at a predetermined speed so that the laundry loaded in the spin tub is forced toward the side wall of the spin tub by centrifugal force, thereby the washing water contained in the laundry discharges through a plurality of apertures formed in the side wall of the spin tub.
In second step 520, the spin tub continuously rotates and the first washing water is supplied and drained twice. In addition, the first washing water is supplied such that it fully contacts the laundry.
In third step 530, the spin tub continuously rotates in order to extract as much washing water as possible.
On the other hand, second and third steps 520 and 530 are repeated at least once.
In fourth step 540, similar to the second step 520, the second washing water is supplied such that it fully contacts the laundry. In addition, the second washing water circulates such that the cumulative amount of the circulated washing water is greater than the amount necessary to saturate the laundry.
However, in the Pastryk's spray rinsing process, the circulated washing water sprays onto the laundry through various circuits and nozzles as well, so it takes a long time to circulate the washing water and accordingly the spray rinsing process requires much time for rinsing the laundry.
In addition, since the washing machine instantly drains the first washing water out of the washing machine without recirculating the first washing water, the waste of the washing water still remains a problem in the Pastryk's spray rinsing process.